Anglers plan to clean up reservoir

The Reservoir Anglers Association won't be reeling in any fish at Loch Raven Reservoir on Dec. 13. Its haul that day will be litter.

The goodwill gesture by the new association, which represents local anglers, is aimed at showing Baltimore officials who operate the city reservoirs that members care what happens to the reservoirs.

Fishing hasn't been permitted all year at Loch Raven, Prettyboy and Liberty reservoirs. It was stopped to prevent an invasion by the tiny zebra mussel, which can clog water conduits.

The mussels attach themselves to boats and can survive for two weeks out of the water. When reports suggested the mussels' range was moving south along the Susquehanna River, Maryland's northern reservoirs were closed to boating anglers by the Baltimore City Department of Public Works, which oversees the city water supply.

Fishermen also were cut off from conducting their annual cleanups of trash that ends up in the water and on the shore.

The recently formed association, which met last month with public works officials to discuss reopening the reservoirs to fishing, also received a permit to clean up Loch Raven Reservoir. The members hope the gesture will be a step toward reopening the waters for fishing.

At the cleanup, the anglers will start north of the Warren Road bridge at 9 a.m. and finish at 3 p.m.

"We walked it off Thanksgiving morning," said Robert Standiford, an association founder and member of its cleanup committee, sizing up the project. "There's a lot of trash down there, and it's up to us to get it shaped up."

He figured that 100 people can do the job and hoped more will come. "Let's show the city that we care," he said.

The Reservoir Anglers Association began Nov. 11 as a public meeting of boat fishermen who were disgruntled over the zebra mussel issue and the loss of the reservoirs to fishing. They elected W. T. Standiford, Robert Standiford's brother, as chairman.

Since then, 16 members have met weekly and have formed committees to find out how reservoir use affects business owners, and how to educate the public and coordinate cleanup efforts.

The association's next public meeting will be at the Hampstead Volunteer Fire Hall Wednesday at 7 p.m. Members encourage bank-standing anglers, horseback riders and others who enjoy the reservoirs to join them.

For information about the cleanup or the association, call W. T. Standiford, 374-5422.